The Relief Work by Breakthrough Science Society
Being a social organization committed to the cause of science and society Breakthrough Science Society has a long experience of organizing relief work whenever any natural and man-made disaster struck. Over the last two decades we have organized numerous relief camps, out of which those organized after Bhopal Gas Disaster(1983-1984); Latur Earth Quake, Maharashtra (1993), Super cyclone, Orissa (1999); Destructive Earth Quake in Bhuj, Gujarat (2001); Massive floods in Assam, Bihar and West Bengal (1988, 2000 and 2004), etc are worth mentioning.
Relief work in Orissa
The Breakthrough Science Society (BSS) and the Medical Service Centre (MSC), a fraternal organization jointly took up the relief activities in Orissa, hit by Super cyclone. The MSC started medical camps at 14 locations in Jagatsinghpur, the worst affected coastal district in Orissa from 10th November, 1999. The BSS volunteers had collected relief materials and sent to these affected areas.
A team comprising of Dr. S. Banerjee, Dr. S. Maity, Dr. M. L. Nandagoswamy, Mr. A. Daskhan and Mr. P. Maity went to Cuttack and visited Jagatsinghpur, the worst affected district of Orissa. The blankets were distributed among the surviving citizens of the villages of Ramtara and Balipatna.
Flood relief in West Bengal, 2000
In September 2000, West Bengal witnessed devastating flood. Thousands died, most mud-houses collapsed, belongings of people were washed away and standing crops in vast tracts of land were destroyed --- which devastated the lives of more than 200,000 people in five districts. Breakthrough Science Society launched a relief collection, money clothes and medicine. The relief distribution work was done in three phases in three districts.
A team from I.I.T. comprising of Dr. Soumitro Banerjee, Dr. Somnath Bharadwaj, Dr. Manish Bhattacharya, Mr. Amit Das and Mr. Suman Pal, and a team from Calcutta comprising of Prof. Madhusudan Pal, Dr. Subhasis Maity, Mr. Subhasis Basak, Dr. Uttam Mahapatra and Mr. Pinaki Das went to the Swarupnagar block of North 24 Parganas district, and supplied the relief materials
Earth Quake in Gujarat
A Forum of Concerned Citizens for Quake Affected People has been formed in Gujarat as a public forum to oversee the relief operation. It was found that the educational sector was being grossly ignored and the quake affected people, especially the students, were finding it difficult to continue their studies because most of the school buildings were destroyed.
With donations received from generous people both from India and abroad, constructed a school building and was dedicated to the people of Bhachau on 9 July, 2001. It will now accommodate 700 students in two shifts, thus partially ameliorating the educational crisis in this town.
Joint relief operation after the Tsunami
By Breakthrough Science Society
And Medical Service Centre:
The Tsunami wave that struck on 26 December, 2004 was heart-breaking news to all well-meaning people of the world. The great loss of life and property demanded all out relief operation to prevent further loss of lives, to relieve the pain and sufferings of the affected, and to accelerate the process of rehabilitizatin.
After the killer Tsunami, the two organizations mounted relief efforts jointly, with donations collected from students, research scholars and teachers of different educational institutes and huge amount of medicines collected from different pharmaceutical companies, organizations, physicians and public at large. Medical Relief Camps were set up in the affected regions of Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, Kerala and Andaman &Nicobar Islands soon after the Tsunami.
In Kerala, Rescue and Medical relief started within hours after the tsunami. Many mobile camps were run, which offered primary treatment and shifted patients to permanent hospitals whenever necessity. Ambulance service was also operated for a week in the Alleppey district. Dr.Hariprasand, Dr.P.S.Babu both breakthrough state executive committee members led the medical team in Alleppey and Quilon, the affected districts.
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